1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for performing multi-tasking, and more particularly to a multi-tasking apparatus and method which easily enable a shift between a plurality of applications being executed and into an initial application.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, the software platforms in mobile terminals still use a single tasking application. However, it is difficult for a mobile terminal having such a single tasking environment to remain in existence in a smart phone market.
Today mobile terminals capable of performing multi-tasking are being dominant in the smart phone market as a growing trend is from a single tasking platform to a multi-tasking platform. Therefore, a large number of users can perform multi-tasking with their own mobile terminals, without difficulty.
In order to maximize the user convenience in multi-tasking environments, an appropriate interface providing a notification to the user and easily performing a shift between executed applications is required.
However, in the mobile terminal, there is yet no effective interface which can achieve a dynamic shift of an application, such as the shift of a foreground window, and can maintain the current state so that the user can easily return to an initial application.
FIGS. 1A and 1B are views showing examples where multi-tasking is performed in a conventional mobile terminal. Referring to FIGS. 1A and 1B, an application shift interface in the mobile terminal typically focuses on opening and displaying currently executed windows side by side. Further, since it is necessary for the user to remove the currently executed window in order to see all windows being executed by the user, the user must terminate an initial application.
Moreover, in order to make a shift into an initial application while executing a plurality of applications, the user must inevitably find out the location of the initial application from among the plurality of applications.